Container filling method and apparatus



p 2 3967 D. H. KINCAID CONTAINER FILLING METHOD AND APPARATUS 4 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 26, 1964 INVENTOR DAN IEL HORACE KINCAID BY wv w ATTORNEYS Aprii 25, 1967 D. H. KINCAID 3,315,713

CONTAINER FILLING METHOD AND APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 26, 1964 v INVENTOR DANIEL HORACE KINCAID BY Q/M MQ M ATTORNEYS P 25, 1967 I D. H. KlNCAiD 3,315,713

CONTAINER FILLING METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed Oct. 26, 1964 k 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 \II/l/ II\IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIA nil 28 ML? JMM M 32 -33 27/7 A: ATTORNEYS Aprii 1937 0. H. KINCAID 3,315,713

CONTAINER FILLING METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed Oct. 26, 1964 1 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR DANIEL HORACE KINCAID BY JMJWM ATTORNEYS United States Patent poration of Delaware Filed Oct. 26, 1964, Ser. No. 406,460 16 Claims. (Cl. 141-1) This invention relates to a method and apparatus for controllably filling containers with powders, pastes, liquids or other fluent material, and is particularly concerned with such apparatus wherein the containers are accurately and directly filled with a predeterminedvolume of fluent material from a supply without requiring intermediate measuring cups, flasks, tubes, spouts and the like, and without requiring special filler nozzles as in the case of liquids.

The present invention will be described in its preferred embodiment as applied to apparatus for continuously filling moving containers with fluent powdered and/or grannular material. It embodies a supply station wherein a rotating product reservoir has a continuous series of spaced discharge openings in its bottom, and containers to be filled are automatically lifted into direct filling position, filled as they move around with the reservoir, and then removed from the station.

Prior to the invention it was considered necessary in apparatus of this type, particularly when filling with powders and the like, to fill intermediate measuring receptacles from the reservoir during part of the rotating reservoir movement and discharge the measured contents of these receptacles through funnels or spouts into the containers during further reservoir movement. Where liquids were handled special complex spout and filling nozzle arrangements were employed.

The invention does away with such intermediate receptacles and special filling nozzle arrangements by locating each container for direct filling, inserting therein a probe of predetermined characteristics before or at the beginning of the filling action, and withdrawing the probe after filling.

Where the containers are to be filled with powders and the like, the inserted probe occupies a predetermined known volume relative to the container, enabling the material to be quickly deposited directly within the container until it is completely filled and then pulling out the probe leaving a known volume in the container.

It is therefore the major object of this invention to provide a novel method and apparatus for the direct accurately measured filling of containers, particularly in automatic machinery.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel method and apparatus for quickly accurately filling containers with a desired volume of fluent material wherein the container having an inserted probe of known volume within the container is filled with the material and then the probe removed leaving the desired volume in the container. be a solid rod or any volume occupying medium capable of insertion and withdrawal from the container during the filling cycle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel apparatus for filling a succession of containers wherein a rotating reservoir has a series of bottom discharge openings to which the containers are automatically coupled for filling, the containers during filling contain an inserted probe or the like of known volume within the container, and the probe is automatically removed at the end of the filling cycle. Pursuant to this object the invention contemplates novel probe rod mounting and cam lift control and adjustment mechanisms, novel coupling of the Pursuant to this object the probe may 3 ,3 15,7 13 Patented Apr. 25, 1 967 containers directly to the reservoir and in general novel details of apparatus for carrying out the preferred modes of practicing the invention.

Further objects will appear as the description proceeds in connection with the appended claims and the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation, partially broken away and in section, showing apparatus according to a preferred mode of practicing the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus of FIG- URE 1 partially broken away and sectioned to show detail;

FIGURE 2A is a diagrammatic showing of the cam track for the probe rod control;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation mainly in section showing part of the apparatus of FIG- URES 1 and 2, namely the probe and cam track control therefor;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged plan section across the probe taken substantially on line 4-4 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation like FIGURE 3 but illustrating container filling.

FIGURE 1 shows one type of apparatus wherein the invention may be employed. Containers 11 approach the filling apparatus in a row on conveyor belt 12, and are transfer-red by star wheel unit 13 in equally spaced succession onto suitable individual lifting units shown at 14.

Lift units 14 are mounted on a reservoir assembly 15 disposed for rotation about a vertical axis, the drive shaft 16 thereof being powered by suitable drive mechanism (not shown). The bottom wall of reservoir 15 is a horizontal plate 17 and has near its outer periphery a series of equally spaced circular discharge openings 18 of the same size arranged with their centers in a common circle about the rotational axis 19 of shaft 16. As shown in FIGURE 3, a relatively thick wide annulus 21 of rubber or like seal material surrounds the lower edge of each opening 13, usually held in place by a sheet metal retainer ring 22 secured upon the bottom of plate 17.

Each open top empty container 11 is lifted by its unit '14 into coupling engagement with the plate 17 at an opening 18 and held there during filling. The upper rim 23 of the container engages annulus 21 with a sufiiciently tight fit to prevent the escape of the powder into the surrounding atmosphere, and the thickness and width of resilient sealing annulus 21 compensates for the usual variations in container height and mouth diameter.

Referring to FIGURES l and 3, a cylindrical depending skirt 25 is fixed upon the bottom of plate 17 to rotate therewith, and secured to skirt 25 is an annualar rim 26 upon which a spaced series of lift units 14 are mounted. There is one lift unit vertically aligned with each opening 18. Each lift unit 14 comprises a top platform 27 and a bottom platform 28 connected to rim 26 by collapsible walls 29 and 31 respectively and enclosing springs (not shown) extending between the rim and the platforms. A cam follower roller 32 extends from bottom platform 28 to engage the underside 35 of a cam track 32 fixed on the support 34. As the reservoir rotates, cam roller 32 runs around the cam track surface 35 against which it is urged by the lower spring. Cam track 33 is circular and it comprises a high level portion such as shown in solid lines in FIGURE 3 extending over approximately the angle a shown in FIGURE 2, and a low level portion that extends over approximately the rest of 360 distance, with merging inclined connecting portions between them.

When each cam follower roller 32 enters the low cam track portion, its associated platform 27 is lowered to a level for receiving an incoming container 11 from star wheel 13 and locating the container below an opening 18.

While each cam follower roller 32 is moving along the high cam track portion, its associated platform 27 is in the raised position of FIGURE 3 so as to locate the container on the platform at associated opening 18 in the filling position of FIGURE 3. A second star wheel 36 is provided at the other end of low cam track portion to transfer the filled containers back onto the conveyor 12.

The foregoing manner of lifting the containers to filling position, keeping them there during filling and then removing the filled containers is illustrative only and the invention is not limited to the details of such. For example, another manner of accomplishing this is the changing elevation guide track arrangement disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,928,438 issued to La Pier et al. on Mar. 15, 1960.

As shown in FIGURE 2 as each container 11 enters the filling apparatus it engages with an outwardly concave pocket 37 on the depending reservoir wall skirt 25 and is thereby positively moved around with the rotating reservoir. After the container has been engaged with aperture 18 in the filling position of FIGURE 3 it remains there until filling is completed, and then unit 14 automatically drops it downwardly to deliver the filled container to star wheel 36 which transfers it to conveyor 12.

At the outer periphery of the reservoir, two radially spaced cylindrical walls 41 and 42 concentric with bottom wall 17 have their lower ends fixed to the upper surface of wall 17. For example (FIGURE 3) the lower end of wall 42 is seated in an annular top surface groove 43 on plate 17 radially outwardly of the row of openings 18, and wall 41 is disposed in a similar annular groove not shown that chordally intersects the openings 18. The lower ends of both members 41 and 42 are preferably welded to plate 17.

A stationary overhead support structure 44 extends over the machine and a stationary baffle plate 45 is secured to the support along its upper end at 46. At its lower end baffle 45 extends very close to the upper surface of plate 17 just radially inwardly of the openings 18, and a flexible or resilient wiper element 47 is secured all along its lower edge for sealing engagement with the relatively rotating plate 17.

As shown in FIGURE 2 the opposite edges 48 and 49 of baffle 45 similarly sealingly engage the relatively rotating inner surface of wall 41, so that an arcuate space 51 is thus defined above the plate 17 which does not contain the material to be filled into the container, this space extending over the two container transfer regions adjacent the star wheels. Baflie 45 keeps the fluent material otherwise confined by wall 41 on the upper surface of plate 17 from entering space 51, and thereby insures that no material will pass through any openings 18 which are not operatively coupled with the containers to be filled. In practice filling of the containers takes place during the movement thereof through the angle b shown in FIG- URE 2.

A spaced series of probe mounting and actuating units 52 are mounted on the reservoir walls 41 and 42, these units corresponding in number and location to openings 18. Each unit comprises a guide plate 53 having a depending inner lug 54 secured as by welding to wall 41 and a depending outer lug 55 secured as by welding to wall 42. Guide plate 53 is apertured at 56 to slidably receive a vertical probe rod 57. As shown in FIGURE 4 the aperture 56 and rod 57 are preferably noncircular in cross-section being shaped as a chordal sector of opening 18. The inner periphery 58 of the rod is straight and about tangent to the outer surface of wall 41 which it slidably engages, and the outer perpihery 59 is an arc of about 140 on the same curvature as opening 18 adapted (see FIGURE 3) to slidably engage the outer edge of opening 18.

The lower end of rod 57 is rounded so as not to injure plastic or like containers.

The upper end of rod 57 has mounted thereon a cam follower roller 61 suitably rotatable on a horizontal axis and disposed within a continuous annular cam track 62 that extends all around the reservoir at a level above the walls 41 and 42.

Cam track 62 has arcuate high level and low level sections connected by sloping merging sections. The low level section 63 is shown in FIGURE 3 in full lines where the probe rod 57 is fully inserted within a container 11. The high level section is shown in dotted lines in FIG- URE 3 at 64, where the probe is retracted completely from the container and this high level section and the inclined sections 66 and 67 extend through a portion of the cam track above space 51 wherein the probe is either entirely out of the container or is being inserted or withdrawn.

The track 62 is mounted on three spaced vertical posts 68, each post preferably being a toothed rack having its lower end secured to the movable piston of a fluid pressure motor 69 mounted on an annular extension of support structure 44. The upper end of rack 68 is slidable in fixed guide 71.

Each rack 68 is meshed with a pinion 72, and the pinions are all connected by a universally jointed shaft 73 which is rotatably mounted in frame members 74. By simultaneously energizing motors 69 through a suitable control circuit, posts 68 may be raised or lowered together, whereby track 62 may be adjusted up or down to vary the depth of penetration of probe 57 into the containers, as to adapt the machine to fill different height containers. Optionally the 'lower ends of racks 68 may be merely slidably supported and shaft 73 turned as by a crank 75 to eflect this adjustment.

FIGURE .5- illustrates the container filling action during the time the container is coupled to opening 18 and moving around with the reservoir through the angle b in FIGURE 3. As shown in FIGURE 3, a number of fixed position rakes 76 are mounted in angular disposition to a radius of plate 17 to deflect material radially outwardly toward and over the openings 18 which are flush with the flat smooth upper surface of plate 17. Each of these rakes 76 is mounted as shown in FIGURE 5 and comprises a fiat blade with its lower edge closely adjacent the upper surface of plate 17. The blade 76 is mounted on the lower end of a support rod 77 suspended from top closure member 78 of upper support structure 44.

These rakes 76, during operation of the apparatus, remain at a fixed angle. Any or all of these rakes 76 may have the upper end of its support rod adjustably rockably mounted as at 79 in FIGURE 5 and a manual arm 81, whereby the relatively stationary rake blade 76 may be set at a desired angle to the fluent material carried around by plate 17 and maintained at that angle during operation. An adjustable inner rake 80 is shown suspended in FIGURE 2. The radially outer end of each rake 76 is preferably adjacent wall 41.

The fluent material to be discharged into the containers is supplied into the reservoir through a suitable passage indicated at 82. It falls upon the top surface of plate 17 which is flat, smooth and horizontal and continuous except for flush openings 18. Plate 17 rotates clockwise in FIGURE 2. Suitable fixed position bafiies at various levels suspended from the support structure 44 and indicated at 83 spread the fluent material uniformly outwardly toward the periphery of plate 17 and eventually the reservoir contains a suitable level of material as shown in FIGURE 5.

Empty containers 11 enter the filling station at the left in FIGURE 1 and immediately after being transferred to a lifter unit 14 are raised into the FIGURE 3 filling position where their open upper ends sealingly engage around openings 18. This takes place while the container is below space 51 of FIGURE 2, and stationary baffle 45 prevents any of the material from entering space 51.

Before the container leaves space 51 cam track 62 acts to insert probe rod 57 into the empty container 11. The degree of insertion depends upon the adjusted level of track 62.

After the container with probe 57 inserted has passed beyond space 51, the opening 18 above it is subject to the mass of fluent material on plate 17, and this material mainly due to gravity aided by the deflector action of rakes 76 now discharges downwardly into the container. This filling condition is shown 'best in FIGURE 5. It will be observed that, referring to FIGURE 4, only part of opening 18 is actually open to the reservoir material, and that is the area of opening 18 radially inwardly of the inner surface of wall 41. Outwardly of wall 41 the area of opening 18 is occupied by probe rod 57. Air from the container being filled escapes through the clearance space around rod 57 at opening 18.

The material gradually fills container 11, distributing itself around rod 57, until it is level with the top surface of plate 17. The last rake or rakes 76 encountered act to scrape off the material level even with the top surface of plate 17, and finally as the opening 18 passes under stationary bafile 45 at the point 49 in FIGURE 2 a final smooth wiping action is made by that bafiie so that the filled container enters the region below space 51 with the material leveled off exactly with the upper surface of plate 17.

Now probe 57 is pulled out of the container, being lifted by cam track 62 until its lower end is at least within opening 18, and the filled container is lowered to the level of star wheel 36 and transferred onto conveyor.

These filled containers thus contain an accurately measured volume of material. The volumetric capacity of the space including opening 18 and the interior of container 11 is known and is the same for each container. The volume of the inserted portion of rod 57 is also known and may be varied !by the height adjustment of the cam track 62. Thus the volume of material remaining in container 11 after extraction of the probe rod 57 is a known volume equal to the volumetric capacity of the container minus the known probe volume within the container. The space within opening 18 is considered as part of the container volumetric capacity for simplicity.

The same apparatus could be used for liquid filling of containers except that the various fixed director bafiles 76, 80 and 83 would not be needed to promote flow of the liquid material, and the seals along the edges of fixed bafile 45 would be more adapted to liquid control.

While the foregoing discloses a solid type probe rod, the invention contemplates the use of probes which expand to desired volume after insertion into the container.

The foregoing method and apparatus provides for filling containers automatically quickly and directly from a supply, without the use of intermediate measuring flasks or the like. It is flexible to speedily accommodate to different volume fills and different height or other sizes of containers. The rods 57 for example can be easily replaced by different sized rods for new volume requirements, or volume requirements beyond the adjustment of track 62. Due to the direct coupling of the containers to the rotating reservoir the fill time angle is increased in length, thereby enabling higher reservoir speeds and greater production. The air vent arrangements are more than adequate which reduces foaming of liquids and promotes quick filling of all materials.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms Without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning .6 and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is clamed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A method of filling a container with a desired volume of non-liquid fluent material which comprises the steps of depositing said material within a moving reservoir having a discharge opening, coupling a container of known volumetric capacity to said opening, inserting a probe of known volume within the container, completely filling said container and leveling off said material at the mouth of said filled container, withdrawing said probe leaving within the container a known volume equal to said volumetric capacity minus the known volume of said probe within the container and separating the filled container from said reservoir opening.

2. Apparatus for filling a container with a desired volume of non-liquid fluent material comprising a movably mounted reservoir having a discharge opening, means coupling a container of known volumetric capacity to said opening, means for inserting a probe of known volume within the coupled container, means completely filling said coupled container through said opening and leveling off said material at the mouth of the filled container, means for subsequently withdrawing said probe leaving within the container a known volume of material equal to said volumetric capacity minus the known volume of said probe within the container and means separating the filled container from said reservoir opening.

3. In the apparatus defined in claim 2, means for varying the degree of insertion of said probe into said container.

4. Apparatus for the controlled volumetric filling of a series of moving containers with dry fluent material comprising a supply reservoir for said material having a bottom wall mounted for rotation about a substantially vertical axis and provided with a spaced series of constantly open discharge openings, bafile means effective over a predetermined zone for preventing material from said reservoir from flowing into a succeeding plurality of said openings as the moving reservoir bottom wall passes through said zone, means for directly coupling similar containers of known volumetric capacity in succession to said wall at said openings during passage through said zone, means rotatable with said reservoir wall mounting a movably mounted probe of known volume adjacent each said opening, means for automatically inserting each probe through the adjacent opening into a coupled container at said zone, means for maintaining said probes inserted and said containers coupled to said openings in filling relation with said reservoir as said openings move :beyond said zone, means for automatically withdrawing said probes from the filled containers, and means effective when said openings reenter said zone for uncoupling said filled containers from said reservoir openings.

5. In the apparatus defined in claim 4, means for variably adjusting the degree of insertion of said probes into said containers.

6. In the apparatus defined in claim 4, individual lift units aligned with each of said discharge openings for lifting and lowering said containers with respect to said openings, and means for sequentially actuating said units in synchronized relation to said probe inserting means.

7. In the apparatus defined in claim 4, each said movably mounted probe being a rod vertically slidable in a guide rotatable with said reservoir wall and having a cam follower engaged with a continuous cam track positioned above said wall.

8. In the apparatus defined in claim 7, means for adjusting the level of said track to control the amount of insertion of said rods into said container.

9. In the apparatus defined in claim 4, said bottom Wall having a flat horizontal material supporting surface within the reservoir, and means providing relatively stationary baffle means within said reservoir above said surface for distributing said fluent material outwardly toward said discharge openings.

10. In the apparatus defined in claim 9, said baffle means comprising directional material deflector blades disposed to extend over said openings.

11. In the apparatus defined in claim 10, said blades being angularly adjustable about a vertical axis.

12. Apparatus for the controlled volumetric filling of a series of containers in succession comprising a reservoir mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and adapted to contain a supply of fluent material, a generally horizontal plate in said reservoir directly underlying said material and having a series of circumferentially spaced discharge openings for said material, a relatively stationary baflie mounted in sealing engagement with said reservoir and plate for isolating from said material on the plate a relatively minor zone of said openings to define a container coupling and uncoupling region, means for automatically coupling empty containers directly to said openings at one end of said region and for automatically disengaging filled containers from said opening at the other end of said region, and means for automatically inserting members of predetermined volume within each empty container before it leaves said region, holding them the-rein while the containers move in filling relation with said plate around to said other end of said region and automatically withdrawing said members from said filled containers after they enter said other end of said region.

13. In the apparatus defined in claim 12, said stationary '8 battle leveling off the material at the top of each filled container entering said other end of said region.

14. In the apparatus defined in claim 12, said last named means comprising members in the form of probe rods slidably vertically mounted on said reservoir an annular level control track extending around said reservoir operably connected to said rods.

15. In the apparatus defined in claim 14, said control track being mounted for vertical adjustment to adapt said apparatus to different containers or to vary the volumetric dispacement of said rods within the containers.

16. In the apparatus defined in claim 12., said container coupling and disengaging means comprising individual lifter units for each container operable in synchronized relation to said member inserting means to couple and uncouple said containers with respect to said plate only when said members are Withdrawn from said containers.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,394,453 10/1921 Thompson 141-80 X 2,055,075 9/1936 Gardner 14l133 3,040,787 6/1962 Knoll l41146 X 3,172,434 3/1965 Boucher 14ll81 X 3,185,187 5/1965 Luther 141-8O X LAVERNED. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

E. J. EARLS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A METHOD OF FILLING A CONTAINER WITH A DESIRED VOLUME OF NON-LIQUID FLUENT MATERIAL WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF DEPOSITING SAID MATERIAL WITHIN A MOVING RESERVOIR HAVING A DISCHARGE OPENING, COUPLING A CONTAINER OF KNOWN VOLUMETRIC CAPACITY TO SAID OPENING, INSERTING A PROBE OF KNOWN VOLUME WITHIN THE CONTAINER, COMPLETELY FILLING SAID CONTAINER AND LEVELING OFF SAID MATERIAL AT THE MOUTH OF SAID FILLED CONTAINER, WITHDRAWING SAID PROBE LEAVING WITHIN THE CONTAINER A KNOWN VOLUME EQUAL TO SAID VOLUMETRIC CAPACITY MINUS THE KNOWN VOLUME OF SAID PROBE WITHIN THE CONTAINER AND SEPARATING THE FILLED CONTAINER FROM SAID RESERVOIR OPENING. 